Dec. 15: Hopes of the spectators at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Stadium in Hyderabad came crashing down on Wednesday evening as badminton ace and top seed Saina Nehwal pulled out of the $50,000 Indian Open Grand Prix tournament due to a right ankle injury.
“Saina felt pain in her right ankle while practising at the Gopichand Academy this morning. We did not want to take a chance and consulted the physio right away,” said national chief coach and tournament director Pullela Gopichand. “Considering the physio’s decision and keeping Saina’s health in mind, it has been decided that Saina will skip this tournament,” Gopichand said.
“There is a swelling in the right ankle which is causing pain. She is suffering from subtalar joint injury which would take her a week’s time to recover,” C. Kiran, Saina’s physiotherapist said. Saina is disappointed. “It is sad that I will not be able to play in front of the home crowd. However, it is important for me to take injuries seriously and not ignore them,” she said.
No to Super Series
Saina will also miss the World Super Series Final to be held in Taipei from January 5 to 9. “I received the invitation today but I will not participate in the event,” confirmed Saina, citing the reason of a packed schedule next year.
“I will be playing the Korean Open Super Series as well as the Malaysian Open Super Series which fall back to back. It will be very taxing mentally as well as physically to play three Super Series tournaments at a stretch,” the 20-year-old explained. Coaches Pullela Gopichand and Bhaskar Babu were unanimous in the decision. “Since 2011 is the Olympic qualification year, we should be careful in choosing tournaments for Saina,” they said.